Deptford's Ariel Adels has a photo published in Ranger Rick Magazine

View full sizeAriel Adels, 14, of Deptford, shows a photo of hers that was published in "Ranger Rick" magazine - the butterfly at the bottom of the page. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/Gloucester County Times)

Many 14-year-old girls spend much of their time gazing at and hanging up photographs of their favorite celebrity heart throbs like Justin Beiber and the Jonas Brothers.

However, Ariel Adels of Deptford is making her mark creating photographs and recently had one of her pictures published in Ranger Rick magazine.

“It’s a swallowtail butterfly on our Crepe myrtle bush,” Ariel said. “The bush is purple and the butterfly is yellow with black stripes.”

Ariel was given a Nikon digital camera in spring 2011 and immediately became interested in capturing nature through her lens.

“When I first got it, it was April and there were lots of flowers blooming,” she said. “I went to my mom-moms for Easter and took pictures of her wisteria bush.”

Ariel’s mother Cheryl Adels said when her daughter first started snapping pictures, she thought it was a “cute little hobby.”

“But then when she downloaded them onto the computer and I looked at them, I saw there was some ability there,” Cheryl said. “She has a good eye.”

Ariel, who has always been home-schooled by her mother, is planning to enter Bethel Prep Christian Academy in Washington Township in just a couple weeks.

“She has been blessed,” Cheryl said. “By being home-schooled, she has been able to take the time to pursue her interest in photography.”

View full sizeAriel Adels, 14, of Deptford, photographs a flowe. Adels has a photograph of a butterfly published in "Ranger Rick" magazine. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/Gloucester County Times)

But Cheryl is sure going to school outside the home won’t interfere with her now-developed interest in photography.

From flowers, Ariel moved on to microphotography, which she described as “close up pictures of small things.”

“I love taking pictures of bugs,” she said. “They are so gorgeous.”

She explained that capturing a close-up shot of a tiny bug or flower takes patience.

“To get really close to the bugs, you have to move really slowly, because if you move fast and they see something big coming at them, they will fly away,” Ariel said.

The swallowtail butterfly that she captured on the purple crepe myrtle didn’t cooperate for the photograph at first.

“Butterflies are one of the hardest I’ve had to photograph,” she said. “They are accustomed to flying. But I read somewhere that if a butterfly lands somewhere, to just wait because chances are they are going to land there again.”

Her patience with the fluttering swallowtail paid off with the photograph that appears in the August issue of Ranger Rick.

Cheryl said in addition to shooting nature, Ariel enjoys experimenting with creative photography.

“One of amazing shots she got was at Christmas time when we had lights on the bushes outside,” Cheryl said. “She took her camera and was swirling it around, pointing at the lights. I thought ‘What on Earth is she doing?’”

When Cheryl saw the results of her daughter’s photo shoot, she was amazed.

“It streaked the lights,” she said. “She made a star, a heart, and just some streaks. Most people keep the camera still and just try to get a clear picture. But she is definitely creative. She thinks outside the box.”

View full sizeAriel Adels, 14, of Deptford, photographs a small spider on her finger. Adels has a photograph of a butterfly published in "Ranger Rick" magazine. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/Gloucester County Times)

Ariel said she has been “into art for as long as she can remember,” and also enjoys drawing.

“I definitely want to be a photographer,” she said. “I’m saving up for a new camera right now.”

With each picture she takes, Ariel said she gets more excited about what she may capture next.

“The closer you get, the more amazing things are,” she said. “We pass by things everyday and don’t ever notice how beautiful they are.”